According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are among the ‘options’ for Benjamin Pavard to join this summer.
A recent report from Kicker alleged that the Reds have enquired about the France defender, who’s believed to be seeking an exit from Bayern Munich.
The 27-year-old seemingly has a long list of prospective suitors which reads like a who’s who of Europe’s biggest clubs, with the possibility of a €30m-€40m (£25.8m-£34.5m) move being mentioned by Plettenberg.
On Saturday morning, the reporter tweeted: “News #Pavard: Bayern is also willing to sell him (next to #Hernández)! As they know that Pavard definitely wants to leave the club in summer.
“It’s a question of the price now. First ideas about a potential swap deal + fee or €30-40m + bonus payments. His options confirmed: Real [Madrid], Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Inter.”
READ MORE: Liverpool remain hopeful of hijacking move for 26 y/o despite saying yes to other club
Aside from the obvious line that Pavard wants to leave Bayern and they seem happy to offload him, what stands out from Plettenberg’s update is the sheer scale of competition Liverpool could be facing if they’re seriously interested in the player.
A transfer in the region of £30m for a versatile World Cup-winning defender who’s equally comfortable in the middle of defence and on the right (Transfermarkt), and who at 27 boasts ample high-level experience while still having plenty of time left in his career, seems very appetising indeed.
If the Reds were to sign the Frenchman, that could give Jurgen Klopp the licence to persist long-term with the late-season experiment of playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, in the knowledge that the Bayern man would be standing guard in a conventional right-back role.
What could make Liverpool’s job difficult is that the six other clubs mentioned by Plettenberg will all be in the Champions League next season, whereas the Reds will have to make do with European football.
Also, speaking to CaughtOffside, Jonathan Johnson warned of ‘question marks’ over Pavard’s mentality from some quarters and how the defender ‘sank without trace’ from the France squad following his heroics in their 2018 World Cup triumph.
These may be legitimate red flags, but he certainly boasts an impressive CV at club and international level with some of the biggest trophies in football to his name (Transfermarkt), while he’d offer Klopp a brilliantly flexible addition to a defence which needs strengthening.
With it now being a ‘question of the price’ according to Plettenberg, it may come down to how much money FSG are willing to put on the table for the 27-year-old.
You can see the journalist’s tweet below, via @Plettigoal on Twitter:
News #Pavard: Bayern is also willing to sell him (next to #Hernández)! As they know that Pavard definitely wants to leave the club in summer.
➡️ It’s a question of the price now
➡️ First ideas about a potential swap deal + fee or €30-40m + bonus payments
➡️ His options… pic.twitter.com/lIDVAsh5jc— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 3, 2023